Incredible moment a helicopter rescues a Utah hiker from ‘atmospheric flooding’ that killed two others
Dramatic footage captured the moment a hiker was airlifted out of a canyon on the Utah-Arizona border as floodwaters rushed by.
Heavy rains have killed at least two amid desperate rescue missions in the area all week, coming as devastating weather continues to plague the West Coast.
An atmospheric river event has swept across the region in recent days, bringing with it torrential rains, bitter winds and snow storms.
After months of record snowfall in California and surrounding states, a severe weather front brought the third major storm of the year to the coast, leading to a death toll of at least 16.
Washington County, Utah officials were forced to build makeshift zip lines after three adults and three children were stranded by flash flooding.
Deep flooding has wreaked havoc on the West Coast in recent days as torrential rains wash away
Shocking footage from the airlift led Kane County Sheriff Lt. Allen Alldredge to confirm that the first man found dead was among a group of three hikers venturing across the Utah-Arizona border.
Another man rescued from the group was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was treated for hypothermia and serious injuries after surviving the ordeal for several days.
Authorities confirmed they found a second body Wednesday afternoon in the cavernous area, believed to be a man who was identified as missing earlier in the week, however this has yet to be confirmed.
Two Utah Department of Public Safety helicopters were deployed to rescue the group of three hikers Wednesday, a day after 11 others were pulled from fast-moving floodwaters.
In Washington County, Utah, the sheriff’s office confirmed they responded to a call Thursday after receiving a report that three adults and three children were stranded on a separate trail in the canyon.
A flash flood tore through the area as the hikers were traveling, leading the group, including children as young as two, four and six, to get stuck on the side of the river.
Search and rescue teams built a makeshift zip line to carry equipment and blankets across the river, before another was anchored to carry people to safety.
Flash flooding can cause water levels to rise in a matter of seconds, and the atmospheric river storm that has swept the West Coast since last weekend caused extensive damage to numerous homes and businesses.
Emergency services have been called across the West Coast since the ‘Pineapple Express’ storm made landfall last weekend.
In yet another heroic helicopter rescue, footage surfaced showing a man desperately clinging to a wall after being swept away by the raging Los Angeles River.
Los Angeles Fire Department air and ground crews responded around 5 p.m. Wednesday when the man, who has yet to be identified, clung to a “concrete wall” for his life.
In nearby Orange County, authorities declared a local state of emergency due to torrential storms.
Residents of four apartment buildings in San Clemente were forced to evacuate after a hillside collapsed at the rear of the property, just days after a man was killed in Oakland, California, when the roof of a warehouse collapsed on him due to weather.
A swimming pool at a residential home in Orange County, CA, on the edge of a hillside that collapsed in inclement weather
Flooding in Watsonville, California has swept away residents after the Parajo River overflowed. Several California cities have issued sandbags and emergency shelters have been set up.
The town of Woodlake was also among those damaged by the atmospheric river storm, with firefighters and police officers reportedly floating through the streets in canoes to rescue those trapped in their homes.
West Coast cities have been handing out sandbags to prevent deep flood water from entering homes while emergency shelters have been set up.
California’s weather problems come as it was hit last week by its third major storm of the year, known as the ‘Pineapple Express’ storm.
The devastating weather front placed more than 20 counties in a state of emergency and evacuation orders were issued in coastal counties late last week.
More than an inch of rain fell every hour in some parts of California over the weekend, while mountainous regions like the San Bernardino Valley were still covered in snow.